The $144 million program — with a further $59 million worth of projects in planning — is positioning Ballarat as a leading regional city and will leave a legacy in Ballarat for years to come.
However, there is a huge amount of behind-the-scenes work that goes into delivering these large-scale projects.
For City of Ballarat Director Infrastructure and Environment Bridget Wetherall and her team of eight project managers, working on city-defining capital works projects — such as the Her Majesty’s Theatre and the Central Library refurbishments — is a “once in- a-lifetime opportunity”.
“We take real pride in what we can help deliver,” Bridget says.
Many of the large-scale projects that form the current capital works program have been “on the books” for some time and will have a significant impact on communities across Ballarat.
“Many of these initiatives will seek to change the face of the area, so while we’re getting on and doing business-as-usual — roads and minor facilities and other capital works — these initiatives are larger and more transformative,” Bridget says.
“You can really touch and feel and get involved, and I think that’s what makes these initiatives different in my view.”